The Extraordinary Ordinary Life of José González

Documentary and fiction (via animated sequences) come together in this ambitious portrait of Swedish songwriter José González, who has acquired immense international popularity over the last decade. The directing duo trace the musician’s life using several visual keys at the same time: video journal, surveillance cameras, concert footage, tour documentation and animation. All this to a common end: to film something as elusive as the creative process. Where do these songs come from? What precedes the genesis of a powerful song? González records his own soliloquies, reflecting on the photon’s journey from the sun to our eyes, on Darwinism, and the creative struggle. The film was shot over a three-year period on location in Sweden, Japan, South Africa, Great Britain, the USA, Chile and Argentina. Director Mikel Cee Karlsson: “There is something absurd, fascinating and beautiful in our attempts to find meaning in our existence. In this film we wanted to give form to the personal artistic process. How personal reflection and everyday fragments of life shape our input and output.” (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival)